Kumanjayi Walker inquest: officer says police feared ‘cultural payback’ if community knew of death

An inquest is under way into the police shooting death of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker in the remote Northern Territory community of Yuendumu in 2019. Photograph: supplied by his family

A senior officer has told an inquest into the shooting death of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker that the community of Yuendumu was initially not told he died because police feared “cultural payback”.

Walker was shot three times by Northern Territory police Const Zachary Rolfe during an attempted arrest in the remote NT community of Yuendumu in November 2019.